Oral Conscious Sedation 101 From Our Glendale Dentists

Written by Dr. McKay on Aug 15, 2017

The world of sedation dentistry is continually evolving and advancing. Our Glendale sedation dentists have seen just how powerful sedation treatment can be for anxious and sensitivity-prone patients. In this article, we’re going to be reviewing the properties of and uses for oral conscious sedation.

Oral conscious sedation is unique among relaxation treatments because it actually starts to take effect before the patient even gets to the dentist’s office. When you use oral conscious sedation, you take a small dentist-prescribed pill about an hour before your appointment is scheduled to begin.

This means that by the time you come in for your treatment, you’re already feeling calm and comfortable—you’ll be untroubled by the particularities of your treatment. It’s important to note that, because you’ll be under the effects of sedation, you will need someone to transport you to and from your appointment.

Another useful property of oral conscious sedation is that it has amnesic effects. You will never actually be unconscious during treatment—you’ll be able to communicate with our team the entire time. However, once your treatment is over, and the effects of sedation have worn off, you probably won’t be able to remember any of the treatment process. For this reason, many people consider oral conscious sedation to offer the best of both worlds.

So, is oral conscious sedation right for you? In order to answer this question, our team will take into account your dental history, your dental goals, your treatment timeline, and more. Speaking generally, oral conscious sedation is often beneficial for patients who suffer from dentistry-related anxiety, for those undergoing complex or multi-phased treatment, and those who are prone to sensitivity and pain in the dentist’s chair.

As always, our Glendale sedation dentists are happy to provide you with any additional information that you may need. The best way to get started is to schedule a personal consultation, so that our team can better assess your personal needs. You can always reach us by phone, or by using the Contact Us page on our website!